Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-22
= Weekly IntelNgencer
LANCASTER, Z APRIL q. 1857.
Dismlssals From the Army.

> Mnto9 Bentten OF the cavalry, VINO was
noonced by court-martial to be dismissed
I'm The army for drunkenness, has had
- punishment commuted by the presi-
Ut 10 years relief from pay and duty.
h major has been a noted soldier, hav.
- done brave service in the Custer melee.
Doubtless it is in recognition Of his record
that the president has been lenient.
+ But It Ii notable that nearly all the off.
cos whom court-martials dismiss manage
otin TO stick. Can it be that they are all
meFitoriOus soldiers, who have made such
good records as to entitle them to the
fmthest extension Of clemency? We
1hould like to believe it but we cannot, be-
cause we know that many Of them were not
worthy Of such consideration. There is
oeEtainly great reluctance at Washing
bon, 70 dismiss army officers, but where
fore It Is not easy to see, unless we at
tribute great softness Of heart to the presi-
dsnt and great susceptibility to tears and
persuasion to the secretary. The president
docs not enjoy the reputation of being a
vary movable man and the.secretary of
war Is supposed to be as stiff as poker and
sober and cold as pitcher Of water.
Nevertheless the drunken, dishonest and
worthless officers do not 60.
II It was only drunkenness that failed to
secure dismissal, we might understand it, be-
cause it is really question whether drunk
enness should not be overlooked in an
officer otherwise irreproachable. Drunk
droo nt pG aAt ,y,,tx
unless he insists on getting drunk at the
wrong time or keeping drunk all the time.
a6ts Example is warning against
the dismissals for drunkenness. He was
The champion drunkard Of the army and
really had to resign to keep from beinl
dismissed for drunkenness. Yet he was
good officer, as he demonstrated afterward
He only got drunk when he had nothin!
of consequence to do; which was about al
the period in the piping times of peac
before the war.
Which leads US to say that it is a grea
wonder that we do not now have man.
moro drunken officers. The life is on
that invites to drunkenness. The,
need excitement of some sort in thei
horrible inactivity. 1t is incredible
how o man Of active mind can endure tn
humdrum life of the garrison and the in
consequential results Of bis daily labor o.
lack of labor. II the army officers wert
Ill OF high.strung grade, we might ex
pect them all to long for the racket
Of . great big drunk once in a while
and 90 perhaps the president, who knows
how 1t is himself, thought when he let the
major of so easily. Doubtless he did we'll
But there are great many bad subjects iI
the army who ought to be put out. Thes'
man who duplicate their pay accounts, ant
are convicted and forgiven, should not b
forgiven. 1t is hard enough to get a cour
martial to dismiss, and when it does, it Ger
tainly is for good cause. There ought t
b many more dismissals than there are
There should be greater inducements Of
fered to good men to stay in the army
They should have more rapid promotion
and they should have the company only O
good fellow officers. Otherwise the goo
officers will resign and only the poor one
be left /; and Of this result there is grea
danger.